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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@gilanet.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Appeal to Engineers
  • Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 20:13:24 -0600

Appeal to Engineers - by V.K.DESAI
http://www.tinytechindia.com

We are living in the era of engineers. Progress of science and
technology has created innumerable amenities for happy life. Much of
the comfort and luxuries created by industrial progress is due to
the dedicated efforts of thousand of engineers, technologist and
scientist. Hence, there is no exaggeration in saying that we are
living in the era of engineers.ough which Africa will come out as
the strongest continent.

But the industrial development as seen today is not so innocent. It
has its black side also. Present industrial progress is associated
with exploitation, disparity, unemployment, poverty, centralization,
urbanization, pollution and wars also. Moreover, it makes our life
more and more complex which gives rise to tension in our routine
life. Infact, it encourages materialism and greed for luxurious life
at any cost. So if we assess the industrial progress in totality, we
have to come to the conclusion that its debit side far outweighs its
credit side. This is particularly true for a country like India.

Since centuries, we had the most scientific and well organized
economic structure based on self reliant villages. Crores of people
were living their simple life peacefully in villages. Most of the
people had their own occupation. We have damaged this sound
structure heavily in the name of industrialization. We have
disturbed entire village lifestyle by exploiting masses by breaking
their occupations and by concentrating wealth into handful of
industrialists. This has created unemployment, poverty and
dispartiy. At present our 50 crores of villagers are living
miserable life worse than animals . They are so unfortunate that
they have to sleep with their hungry stomach every day. They are
victims of our so-called industrial development.

I feel that real reason of undesirable consequences of industrial
progress is because engineers are helpless to work for greed of
money. We give more importance to our salaries and to our prospects
for our personal happiness than to consider the impact of our work
on society.

I admit that after putting in hard labour for years together to
achieve degree of engineering, we have right to expect something
which may provide us comfortable life. But I have painfully observed
that matter does not end there. Every type of greed has no end. Once
engineer gets comfortable life, he expects more and more comfort and
luxuries. We engineers, never think of the result of our work on
society. We conveniently ignore the consequences of the industrial
progress which we are making even after knowing that our efforts to
manufacture certain machinery or goods or services will result in
increasing exploitation, unemployment and poverty of masses. We are
not paying any attention towards it. We are not accepting any
responsibility of increasing evils of the industrial development.
This leads to the conclusion to me that we are selfish for our own
comfortable and luxurious life. To accomplish it, we are dedicating
our entire intelligence and perseverance to foster the centralized
industrial structure, sole purpose of which is to make profit by
exploiting masses without any consideration of morality. In this way
we are cooperating in the advancement or evils in the society. It is
really deplorable that not a few engineers are found who will deny
to work where their work is ultimately going to result into evident
exploitation of masses.

We must ponder over this horrible situation. We must try to find out
why industrial progress results into horrible disparity giving
handful of people too much luxuries and to millions of people only
miseries. We must try to find out why the centralization of wealth
and power takes place due to industrial progress.

But I know that many engineers are not satisfied with their jobs.
They know that their hard labour put for earning their livelihood
results into the exploitation of masses. So they have discontent for
their work. They feel pity for masses. They have sympathy for them.
But they feel themselves helpless in the matter. They do not find
any alternative. They desire to come out of the present situation.
But they do not know how to do it. They feel some vacuum in their
life. They feel lack of morality in their work. Hence, their
conscience always rebel against their job. They are eager to help
the poor people either by changing their job or by starting their
own business. But they do not know how to do it.

I have to specially appeal to such engineers. There are hundreds of
scopes in the present day society for earning your livelihood and
helping the poor people. These vast scopes are in villages. Although
our decentralized rural economic structure has been severely
damaged, it is not completely ruined. It is still living. It is
repairable. I am optimistic that if thousands of Engineers pay
enough attention to the real needs of villages and they vow to work
for villages, within two decades only, entire village based economy
can be re-established. If this is done, India will come out as the
strongest country of the world and it will lead to the world on the
path of peace and real happiness.

I want to emphatically assert that not only small is beautiful and
small is possible, but also small is inevitable in every industrial
field. It may be textile, sugar, oil, fertilizer, paper, steel,
automobile or aeroplane making. This is the demand of 21st century.

This is not wishful thinking. This is really achievable and
practicable Really no great sacrifices are necessary to achieve this
great goal. I will humbly state that only condition to reach this
situation is that Engineers must come out of the present dogma of
industrial development leading to giant centralized mass productions
systems and they should understand properly the significance of
decentralized production by masses scattered into millions of
cottages and homes which can impart real happiness to the entire
humanity. We, engineers, must turn our faces towards half million of
depleted villages of India and we must vow to work for them only. We
must abandon jobs and business which give rise to exploitation of
masses and we must find out such business which can prosper the
villages and common masses. If this is done, revolutionary miracle
will happen within two decades only.


But you may raise the doubt how miracle will happen, how present
giant evils will disappear and what business hundreds of engineers
can adopt. These are natural questions. My reply is very simple
Various giant evils seen in the present society are associated with
giant industries. IF INDUSTRIES ARE DECENTRALIZED TO TINY SCALE,
MAGNITUDE OF THE EVILS ALSO WILL BE REDUCED TO TINY SCALE. Spread of
tiny cottage industries in millions of houses in rural areas will
bring about balanced homogenous economic growth, which will
eradicate most of the economic evils generated by giant industries.

I have specially studied some statistics of India and I have come to
the conclusion that all the major industries including the core
sector industries can be easily decentralized to very tiny scale as
cottage industries. Particularly agro based industries need
immediate attention for decentralization. I have conviction that no
question of economic viability is going to arise for tiny scale
cottage industries. On the contrary, tiny cottage industries are
naturally the most viable units and they can successfully compete
giant industries. Precondition of solving all the problems of
development is only one i. e. Engineers must whole heartedly accept
this work of industrial decentralization. At least the following
opportunities are eagerly waiting for you where success is ready to
greet you.

Three lakhs of tiny cotton ginning machines running on single phase
1 HP motor can be established in rural areas which will gin the
entire cotton production of India. One such gin may cost only 5,000/-
rupees.




40000 tiny bailing presses are required which will press bales of 20
kg weight instead of 170 kg weight. At present India produces 200
lakhs of bales of 170 kg annually. If this process is decentralized
into villages, 1000 lakhs of tiny bales of 20 kg can be built into
40000 presses. and rest of the lint cotton will be consumed in loose
condition. Such a press may cost less than one lakh rupees.




At least 90 lakhs of tiny spinning units of 8 spindles are
absolutely required in our villages throughout India Textile
industry is the biggest industry in India responsible for maximum
exploitation of villages. If such 90 lakhs of tiny spinning units
are established, major source of drain of wealth from villages will
be plugged and it will create vast opportunities for self employment
of villagers. At the same time cloth production will be undoubtedly
cheaper in this manner.




Present annual production of 200 lakh tonnes of oilseeds are crushed
for edible oil into 25000 expellers throughout India. This industry
exploits 4000 crores of rupees from villagers every year. If two
lakhs of tiny oil mills are manufactured and established in
villages, entire exploitation from edible oil industry can be
stopped.




There is a vast scope of establishing about one lakh tiny sugar cum
jaggery mills which can simultaneously produce sugar and jaggery
without producing any molasses. This will yield 14% combined
recovery. If this is done, all the present giant sugar mills will
have no place in the market.




About two lakhs of tiny rice mills can be established as cottage
industry which can easily compete to present big rice mills. Such a
tiny rice mill may cost not more than Rs. 50000/-




Cement is not a mysterious product. It is simply a mixture of
natural compounds accruing by burning limestone with clay in
suitable proportion. No giant plant is necessary for this. Tiny
cement plant of 2 TPD to 5 TPD capacity can be developed wherever
limestone is available. Such a tiny cement plant will definitely
compete to the present giant cement plants of one million tonne per
annum capacity. About one lakh such tiny cement plants are
absolutely necessary in the country.




There is a possibility of establishment of one lakh micro hydro
projects by harnessing every stream of river. This will give cheaper
electricity and investment per kilowatt will be reduced half.




There is a scope of about one lakh tiny soap making units in
villages. About one lakh unemployed chemistry graduates can be self
employed in this industry very easily.




About five lakhs of modern and fuel efficient lime kilns are
necessary in villages to manufacture good quality lime.




About one million of cheap vehicles of one tonne capacity running at
not more than 20 km. speed and driven by 5 HP single cylinder engine
are urgently required in villages. If properly designed, such
vehicles should not cost more than Rs. 75000/-.




About half million tiny solar power plants are required for half
million villages.




Millions of tiny solar power plants are required for running cottage
industries and small scale industries and providing lighting and
cooking amenities to rural and urban population of India.


This is not the exhaustive list. This list can be lengthened still
further. Millions of cottage industries based on local raw-materials
can be established in various parts of India after studying raw-
material and consumption pattern of that particular region. For
designing and manufacturing the above machinery, I have estimated
that atleast one lakh of engineers can be accommodated and if the
entire scheme is implemented, it will generate the self employment
opportunities for 50 million people. So if any engineer is genuinely
thinking to serve OUR MOTHER INDIA by way of involving himself for
the development of decentralized industries for poor people, he
himself can choose any one industry from the above. I am sure that
he will find vast opportunities even for personal development for
earning wealth and profit over and above prospering the country. I
can assure that all above business opportunities are sacred in its
nature; as it provides chances of development of really needy people.

The opportunities in the above fields are so wide in the present
context that there is no risk of competition also. Any person can
choose any business and start earning money. This is my personal
experience. I started my activity of manufacture of tiny oil mills
in 1984. I had not to face any competition. Within three year time
only, I was quite well established. So far I have established about
1000 tiny oil mills in 30 countries. But it is just a drop in the
ocean. I should clarify that still I do not have any production
machinery. I get everything done from tiny machine shops on job work
basis and then get it assembled achieving complete decentralization.

This is the "YUGAKARYA" (mission) for engineers. If you are
convinced, then, " Awake ! Arise ! and stop not till the goal is
reached ! "

V.K.DESAI

http://www.tinytechindia.com






  • [Livingontheland] Appeal to Engineers, Tradingpost, 10/15/2004

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